State must act now to check food wastage

Early this month, when Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei issued licences to some individuals to import sugar ostensibly to cover a deficit in the local market, claims emerged that the Government had also issued licences for the importation of 60,000 tonnes of maize from Tanzania when there was no need to do so.

It should be recalled that in August, maize farmers in Uasin Gishu barricaded the main Eldoret-Webuye road for hours protesting against the Government's inability and (maybe) unwillingness to purchase maize from farmers while their harvest went to waste because of poor storage facilities and exploitation by middlemen and millers who were offering Sh2,350 per bag instead of Sh2,800.